Remote Lock & Wipe
Disable a missing Chromebook through Google, powerwash it remotely, or mark it lost so it shows a return notice and reports where it connects from. All from the device record, all logged.
What it does
A Chromebook that is reported missing goes through a predictable set of decisions: is it lost in the building, is it at the wrong student’s house, or is it gone? UserAuthGuard puts the actions for each of those next to the device record, so the technician who takes the ticket does not need to find the device in the Admin console first.
Disable and re-enable use Google’s own device actions. A disabled Chromebook shows Google’s disabled screen at boot and cannot be used until your domain re-enables it; because it is enrolled with forced re-enrollment, a powerwash does not free it. Powerwash issues Google’s remote powerwash command, which wipes local data the next time the device is online. It does not remove enrollment, and it cannot be undone.
Mark as lost is UserAuthGuard’s own mode. The device moves to the Missing Devices OU, which can carry its own rules, and the next time it comes online the extension puts it in a locked kiosk: either a visible “Return this device to [school], call [number]” notice, or a covert mode that looks ordinary while reporting the network and approximate location it connects from. Visible resolves the “a classmate borrowed it” case on first boot; covert is for a device you expect to recover with the police. Every action is written to the device’s history with who did it and when.
- ✓ Disable and re-enableGoogle’s device action, issued from the device record. The device is unusable until your domain re-enables it, powerwash or not.
- ✓ Remote powerwashGoogle’s remote command, for a device you will not get back. Local data is wiped when the device next connects. Irreversible.
- ✓ Visible or covert lost modeA return notice with your contact details, or an ordinary-looking screen that reports where the device connects from. You choose per device.
- ✓ Network and location reportingEach check-in from a lost device records the public IP and, where available, the approximate location, for the report you give the police.
- ✓ From the ticketA technician attaches the device to the support ticket; an administrator starts lost-device mode from the same ticket, with the required fields and consequences spelled out before confirming.
- ✓ Everything loggedDisable, re-enable, powerwash, lost and recovered are all in the device history with the user and timestamp.
Requires
- The Enterprise plan, and UserAuthGuard authorized to issue Chrome device actions and commands in your Google Workspace.
- Forced re-enrollment turned on in Google Admin, which keeps a powerwashed device in your domain. UserAuthGuard can set this for you.
- The UserAuthGuard extension force-installed for lost-device mode and location reporting. Disable and powerwash do not need it.
Does not
- Reach a device that never comes online. Every action waits for the device’s next check-in with Google or with the extension.
- Use GPS. Chromebooks have none; location is approximate, derived from the network the device connects from.
- Undo a powerwash. Disable and lost mode are reversible; a wipe is not, and the confirmation says so.
- Let a technician mark a device lost. That is an administrator action. Technicians attach the device to the ticket and hand it over.
Where it fits
Left on the bus
Mark it lost in visible mode. When it is opened, the screen says which school it belongs to and who to call. Mark it recovered when it comes back and the device returns to its student.
Reported stolen
Covert lost mode records where the device connects from at each check-in, and the device history gives the police report its dates and times. When it is clear the device will not come back, disable it so it has no value, then powerwash it to clear local data.
A student leaves without returning the device
After the recovery attempts the ticket documents, disable the device. If it is ever opened again it shows Google’s disabled screen; the device record shows the whole sequence for the finance office.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly does a disable take effect?
The action is sent to Google immediately and applies the next time the device checks in, usually within minutes if it is online. A device that is powered off is disabled the moment it next connects.
Can a disabled device be used again?
Only if your domain re-enables it. With forced re-enrollment on, a powerwash returns the device to your enrollment and it stays disabled. Re-enabling is one action from the device record when the device is recovered.
What does a powerwash remove?
Local user data and accounts on the device. Enrollment in your domain remains. It cannot be undone, and it only runs when the device is next online.
What is the difference between visible and covert lost mode?
Visible shows a return notice with your school and contact number, which gets a misplaced device back fast. Covert shows an ordinary screen while reporting the network and approximate location at each check-in, for a device you believe was taken. You choose when you mark it lost, and the form explains the consequences of each.
Do we need a police report before wiping?
That is your district’s policy and your insurer’s. The device history gives you timestamps for every action and every check-in from a lost device, which is what those reports ask for.
Act on a missing device from its record
Remote Lock & Wipe is part of the Enterprise plan, priced per student, à la carte. Start free first: the gap report lists every device with no owner and every student with no device.